


A Lion With A Sapphire Heart

by superpotterwhorelock



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), GoT - Fandom, hbo - Fandom
Genre: Braime - Freeform, Brienne is the Best, Game of Thrones References, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Jaime and Brienne - Freeform, Jaime/Brienne Appreciation Week, POV Brienne of Tarth, The Long Night, Westeros, Winterfell, jaime lannister - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 20:01:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18185090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpotterwhorelock/pseuds/superpotterwhorelock
Summary: Taking place right after the season 7 finale, Jaime finds himself arrived at Winterfell to right Cersei's wrongs and help in the fight. However, things quickly go awry, much to Brienne's dismay. The two finally share their true thoughts about the other as the battle ensues around them.





	A Lion With A Sapphire Heart

**Jaime**

He stopped his horse as he reached the cliff overlooking the castle. With a kick again, he was off. He can't say he was surprised that she had done this. Honestly, he didn't even know if he was upset. He loved Cersei, this much was true. But it wasn't the same love he had felt for her like he used to. He wasn't in love with her anymore, and he thought maybe he hadn’t been for a while.

Things hadn’t been the same since he had been Robb Stark’s prisoner. More specifically, things hadn’t been the same since Brienne of Tarth escorted him back to King’s Landing.

Brienne was. . . well, he supposed friend could be an appropriate word. He’d never had a friend before who wasn’t family, or after his power, or after his money. But Brienne was none of those things. They fought and they hurt each other, but her heart was true. However, who’s to say if things would be the same between them. So much had changed in his life that made him a different person since that journey. It had been years since he first felt this feeling towards her, feelings he didn’t even know how to label.

In that time, he had lost his father. His brother being the man who had killed his father. His daughter had died in his arms. His younger son had committed suicide. He had seen a fucking dragon and a fucking wight--supposedly myths told amongst children-- all within the same year. Perhaps most importantly, his sister was pregnant. With his bastard child. He would love that child-- if he ever got to see it--, as he had loved Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, but he couldn't bring himself to stay with Cersei anymore. He was finally seeing how crazy she was.

_She was going to_ kill _me_. He thought disgustedly. He felt as if deep down he knew all along what she was, but he was trying so hard just to be happy with her again. He knew now he did not want to be with her any longer. It only took him a few moons to take action. He shivered at their memories, as well as shivered at the cold. When did it get so bloody cold? A snowflake lofted down in front of him. He needed to hurry.

**Brienne**

“So we have the backing of Cersei Lannister. That was unexpected.” Daenerys was talking amongst the circle just inside the gates of Winterfell. They had returned home from their long journey to King’s Landing and now it was time for everyone to play catch up.

“Do you _honestly_ think you can trust her?” Sansa Stark played devil’s advocate, but she asked what was necessary after her time away from Winterfell had shown her the cruel ways of the world.

Tyrion stepped up besides their queen.

“No,” he stated. He made eye contact with each of them. “But I know Jaime. He knows what is right here, and it’s like I said. My sister will listen to my brother, even if he is taking advice from their insidious sibling.” Tyrion gestured at himself.

Brienne’s heart jumped. After all these years, after all the ways she had felt, her heart still skipped a beat whenever anything about him came up. She reckoned it would never stop being that way.

Brienne had never hated Jaime Lannister the way some men hated Jaime Lannister. She had also never adored him the way some women adored him. Her heart was simply fiercely loyal and her feelings reciprocated based on the circumstances. So when she was tasked with bringing the Kingslayer back to King’s Landing she did as she was told.

It was true that at the time she found the golden haired man repulsively irritating, but they had found each other on King’s road. He was irritating, but he saved her from a long night with many different sell swords. He slayed a king, but he was not a Kingslayer.

She knew she would never have a chance with such a man. All she could do was hope that the man she had seen emerge during their journey would make the right decision, and soon. Otherwise no one would be making any decisions.

No one would be loving anyone.

**Jaime**

Jaime had been to Winterfell before. The last time he was in these castle walls was not his proudest moment. He tried to push the sudden guilt from his mind, reminding himself that he had tried to redeem himself and was proving it just by being here.

The castle gates began to loom above him as he approached Winterfell. He saw through the short tunnel and into the Winterfell courtyard.

He saw Brienne.

He didn't think he would pose a threat to any of these people so he continued closer. Once they saw him alone, with no men guarding him they'd understand. She'd understand.

He strode into camp. The guards the Starks had guiding the entrance were not the most competent, letting him walk by on his horse as he nodded towards them.

“Gentlemen.”

They turned and hurried behind him, trying to stop him, leaving their post. He was sure they meant to ask his business or tell him to wait outside the castle walls as they rambled on about Lady Stark and what she’d think. That didn’t matter to Jaime though. He didn’t want to waste time, and a magnetic force pulled him forward.

Brienne of Tarth was talking in a group containing Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, the Onion Knight, his brother, and the dragon queen. When she saw him, he raised his gold hand in her direction. He couldn't help but smile his crooked little smile. Brienne smiled back at him. Her smile was always closed lips, but no less endearing. Then he watched as the smile fell off her face. Her eyes seemingly stretched out towards him like a warning. Jon Snow was racing towards him. Apparently he was wrong about being welcomed.

Jaime dismounted and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. He didn't come here to fight, but he certainly wasn't just going to stand here while the bastard tried to kill him. He fell forward with a surprised groan as extreme pain appeared on his back. Something was wrong though. The Stark bastard was still in front of him, yet the pain was from his back. It seemed like time was working in slow motion as he watched Jon race past him. Jaime turned over onto his back, painfully. He saw as Jon swung his Valyrian sword at a creature much like the one he had seen at the Dragon Pits not long ago.

The walker shattered at the touch of Jon’s sword. Jaime leaned his head back against the frozen ground and let out a puff of air.

Well fuck. He had known what happened to him now.

**Brienne**

“ _Jaime! JAIME!_ ” Brienne screamed as she took off racing towards him. Snow had killed the white walker, but it didn’t seem as if he had in time.

“Oh god, Jaime, no, no, _no_.”

“Calm down, Tarth. I’m still alive aren’t I?” His voice was raspy. She could tell he was just trying to talk through the pain.

Brienne kneeled down on the ground and lifted Jaime’s head into her lap.

“For heaven’s sake someone get a maester!” Brienne yelled out desperately.

“Tarth, listen to me. Tarth.” Brienne was too busy yelling about to pay attention. Suddenly she felt a hand on her cheek. The soft stroke of a thumb brushed her.

“Brienne.” It came out as a whisper. She looked down at the angel in her lap, her eyes welling up with tears.

“I’ve seen your home, you know. I sailed the Sapphire Isles.” Brienne gave a start at this. She supposed it was always implied that he had to have at some point, but it was different hearing him say it. “It’s true what they say about the waters, you know? I don’t think I’ve ever seen waters quite so beautiful.”

The tears were easily sliding down her face now.

Jaime persisted: “We were on our way to Dorne. Bronn, he was adamant about the Dornish women. Said there was nothing like a good fuck to make you want to fight. I didn’t want to think about Dornish women though. I remember . . . thinking . . how could I possibly think about these sand women when I had just sailed past a place that produces such natural, such innocent, beauty. When we . . .” He winced again, trying to not let it show how much it hurt him. “got to Dorne we sat on the beach. Talked about how we wanted to die. He told me his wishes, I told him mine. I told him I wanted to die in the arms of the women I loved. I’m sure there’s lots of others that think I was talking about someone else. I’m sure I thought I was thinking of someone else too, but deep down I knew I was thinking of the right person. He asked me if she wanted the same. And you know what, I’m not . . . sure. But here we are. Quite sooner than I imagined it, but it’s how I wanted it. So let me get what I want, Brienne. Let me die in the arms of a woman I love.”

Brienne let out a non-suppressed sob.

“Jaime . . .” it was her turn to whisper.

“Have I not told you before?” She found it amazing how he could still hold this edge to him, even on his deathbed. “Ah, well let's fix that.”

Brienne closed her eyes. This was too hard.

“I love you, Brienne.”

“You can’t. Jaime, you can’t.” The others were gathered around them, not sure how to react. Death was something they were all familiar with. A woman knight and a Lannister though?

“Listen to me, Bronn asked you, Jaime, he asked you if she wanted the same. She doesn’t. She wants you to live. Just because you’re a Lannister doesn’t mean you get everything you bloody want.”

Her words were hostile, but her tone held such sadness she felt she would fall forever and never find her way back. At this point, Jaime’s breathing was rapid and shallow. A final smirk graced his face

“I’m afraid it does, actually. I am Jaime Lannister after all. Go do good by my name. Oh, and stay alive, Tarth. Kill these bloody white walkers.”

His eyes began to close and his breathing became less rapid.

Brienne let her head fall until her chin was touching the metal plating of her chest armor. Only then did she allow herself to become wracked with sobs. She didn’t cry often. She didn’t even cry this hard when Renly had been stabbed. Her shoulders slumped as the hand that was on her cheek fell to rest besides the man in her lap.

“I love you, Jaime.” Brienne whispered.

The crowd around them had dispersed. There was shouting that Brienne hadn’t even realized she had been hearing from a distance. As she placed Jaime’s head on the ground and placed his left hand over top of the gold one that lay on his chest she looked around. Chaos was beginning to ensue. Jon Snow and Ser Davos had their swords out and were swinging away at more wights that had infiltrated Winterfell. Sansa had disappeared. Lady Arya had appeared in her place with Needle out in front of her like a threat. The fight of the long night was finally here.

Brienne kissed Jaime lightly, once, on his forehead and then stood up, hand on the hilt of the sword Jaime had given her years ago. Its name had a different meaning back then, but after what they had just shared the name took on a whole new life.

It was his. It was hers. It was theirs.

It was Oathkeeper.


End file.
